The link above didn't work for me. This one did: Link

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/memorial-day-mlb-players-killed-military-action-fan-205700985--mlb.html

There is a full slate of Major League Baseball games on tap for Memorial Day, which makes it a perfect time to pause and remember the six former major leaguers who gave their lives during military service.

Three MLB players were killed during World War I. Additionally, Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson was accidentally exposed to mustard gas during a training exercise in 1918 while serving in the United States Army, was subsequently diagnosed with tuberculosis in 1921, and died in 1925. However, the connection between the gassing, the tuberculosis, and Mathewson's death is not entirely rock solid.

Two more major leaguers were killed during World War II. Another was killed in Korea. None have died in military action since.

In alphabetical order:

Alex Burr, OF, New York Yankees: Killed in 1918 during World War I ...

Elmer Gedeon, OF, Washington Senators: Killed in 1943 during World War II ...

Eddie Grant, 3B, Cleveland Naps, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, New York Giants: Killed in 1918 during World War I ...

Robert Neighbors, SS, St. Louis Browns: Killed in 1952 in North Korea ...

Harry O'Neill, C, Philadelphia A's: Killed in 1945 during World War II ...

Robert "Bun" Troy, P, Detroit Tigers: Killed in 1918 in World War I ...

While pausing on Memorial Day to remember the hundreds of thousands of American men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country, take one more moment to remember these six ballplayers, too.

All of our deceased soldiers deserve it.

Then of course there's Eiji Sawamura

Then of course there's Eiji Sawamura

Someone seems a little unclear about who is honored on Memorial Day.

Although no major leaguers were killed in Vietnam (about 60 to 70 served), several minor leaguers did lose their lives in combat.

Yang is for individualism, which does not recognize the sovereign; Mo is for universal love, which does not recognize parents. To be without sovereign or parent is to be a beast. Mencius

Someone seems a little unclear about who is honored on Memorial Day.

What are the specific rules? Do they just have to be Americans?

Can we honor confederate soldiers? American Indians? Federal agents killed in our wars on personal freedoms?

Can I honor an immigrant who served , or is he still a dirty foreigner?

What are the specific rules?

From Wikipedia:

Memorial Day is a federal holiday observed annually in the United States on the last Monday of May. Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. [emphasis added]

Is Ultimate Sacrifice that game where you try to bunt a frisbee?

It's either that or a Ben Folds Five song.

It's too late!
No supper for you!

Those heroes who shed their blood and lost their lives … you are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours… You, the mothers who sent their sons from far away countries, wipe away your tears. Your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land, they have become our sons as well. -Atatürk

Can we honor confederate soldiers?

That's a long story. Though it's thoroughly federalized now, for a long time Memorial Day (as "Decoration Day") was observed exclusively in the North (I believe that it originally commemorates the surrender of the last Confederate units in May of 1865). There are parallel Confederate Memorial Days – in Tennessee, at least, it's observed on the 3rd of June. I attended Confederate Memorial Day events at the Shiloh battlefield in 2005; it's still a pretty solemn holiday. But naturally, with so many Southern veterans and war dead from subsequent wars, there isn't a sense any more that the federal Memorial Day is a "Yankee" holiday.

What are the specific rules? Do they just have to be Americans?

Can we honor confederate soldiers? American Indians? Federal agents killed in our wars on personal freedoms?

Can I honor an immigrant who served , or is he still a dirty foreigner?

You can honor whomoever you choose. American servicemen died to give you that right, even if you choose to take advantage of that right by being a flippant a-hole.

I suspect you know very well what the holiday is set up to collectively honor, but you go right back to making it about you.

Memorial Day is a federal holiday observed annually in the United States on the last Monday of May. Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. [emphasis added]

Thanks. I'm glad I wasn't honoring the memories of the men and women who served in the Canadian and British armed services during WWI and WWII, that would have been embarrassing.

You can honor whomoever you choose. American servicemen died to give you that right, even if you choose to take advantage of that right by being a flippant a-hole.

I suspect you know very well what the holiday is set up to collectively honor, but you go right back to making it about you.

I suspect you know that many of the enemy combatants we've killed were serving their countries with the same noble intent as our men and woman served ours. A little quote from Hermann Goering might be pertinent.

"Naturally the common people don't want war: Neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, IT IS THE LEADERS of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is TELL THEM THEY ARE BEING ATTACKED, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. IT WORKS THE SAME IN ANY COUNTRY."

I say this as a life-long republican. I understand the honor we owe our fallen soldiers, who died to protect the liberties that we hold dear (and enables this very conversation). But I'm not so xenophobic to ignore the fact that many a foreign soldier, whether manipulated by evil Nazi's or not, died with the same intent.

Even a japanese boy pitching phenom who had been inculcated to hate America and agreed to serve his country with the incorrect idea that it was facing destruction by evil gajin, and gave his life in doing so (and if he lived, likely would have grown to appreciate and respect america, like many japanese who survived the war). So if someone wants to remember him on memorial day I don't think that act sullys the memory of our heros, I think it shows a deeper appreciation of the horrors of war, and in summation, I'm not the one who started the snark.

I understand the honor we owe our fallen soldiers, who died to protect the liberties that we hold dear (and enables this very conversation). But I'm not so xenophobic to ignore the fact that many a foreign soldier, whether manipulated by evil Nazi's or not, died with the same intent.

I think that's unquestionably true, and your point about not firing the first snark bullet as well. (I took your tone as you apparently took his.)

Is it really a point that needs to be made, though? On Father's Day, everyone does something silly for their father. I think most of them know that their father is not objectively the world's best dad (TM) and that, at some level, everybody has or had one. The intent and practice of the holiday is, however, to celebrate yours. Unless someone feels the need to go around shouting "Bruce Jenner is better than your dad! You live in a trailer!" on Father's Day, I don't know why they would feel the need to make a point on Memorial Day that the heroes we set a day aside to honor aren't the only heroes. First of all- no ####. Second of all - so what?